Error Problems in Windows XP and How to Repair Them.
Can’t seem to open a file? Maybe Windows XP forgot about it. Understanding file association problems so you can try and fix and repair them yourself…
A file association problem is one of those annoying things that a corrupted Windows Registry can give you. Contrary to popular belief, your Windows Registry can become corrupted over time. If there is a chance that you got to this page through a search engine, I’ll assume that you are specifically looking on information on how to repair a file association problem yourself.
There are many file association problems that can crop up and I have no way of knowing what you are looking for – that’s why I am writing up some of the most common and information about it on how you can try and repair it yourself.
Hopefully, the information on how to repair the file association problem you are looking for is in here somewhere. The fix to a specific file association problem is included and comes in the form of a ZIP file containing the REG file which you need to import to restore – and therefore repair the file association problem you are having.
EXE File Association Problem
This is the most common file association problem in Windows XP. You’d know you have this problem when you try to open an application and Windows tells you that it cannot open the program because it does’t know what program created it and prompts you to manually look for the program. A probable cause of this is a virus which modifies the Windows Registry such as the SirCam virus.
How to repair an EXE file association problem
To try and repair it yourself, you need to download and merge this zip file which contains the settings to correct the EXE file association problem – extract and save it on a folder.
Remember the folder because you’d be going back to it later on.
But because your EXE file association is corrupted in the first place, you’d be having a hard time importing the REG file that follows because you won’t be able to start Windows XP’s Registry Editor (because it is an EXE).
To work around that, you have to launch the Registry Editor through the command prompt which you open up through the Task Manager. Here are the steps:
- Open up Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del
- Click on File, then, while holding the Ctrl key, click on New Task (Run…)
- This will open up a Command Prompt. From there, you can open up the Registry Editor by typing “regedit” (without the quotes).
With the Registry Editor open, you can now import the REG file which you can use to repair the EXE file association problem. Click on File, then Import – and look for the REG file you have extracted (the xp_exe_fix.reg file).
Windows XP will now tell you that you have successfully imported the file. Restart your PC and hopefully you have repaired the EXE file association problem you were having.
Other File Association Problems
General Instruction: To try and repair the following association problems, you simply need to download its corresponding fix, uncompress it to a folder, then import it to your Windows XP registry by double clicking on it.
File Folder File Association – Happens when you cannot open folders. You can try to repair and restore it using this repair file.
GIF File Association – problem when opening pictures in GIF format? Repair it by using this file (xp_giffile_fix.zip).
JPEG File Association – Having trouble opening pictures you took with your digital camera or pictures that are residing on your PC? Restore the default Windows XP settings for this file format by using this repair file.
Preventive Measure
File association problems are the result of a poor and corrupted Windows XP registry. To help keep Windows XP registry in good condition and lessen the chances of it being corrupt, keeping a registry cleaner and optimizer handy is a wise decision.
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